This offseason is a very precious time for Gao Wen.
Although Sampras has been his coach since September, the schedule in September and October was too intensive, and it was not until the offseason that they had time to systematically conduct some tactical sorting, technical adjustments, etc.
It is precisely because of this that Agassi's joining was very timely. The collision of inspirations between the two best competitors in history opened the door to a whole new world for Gawain.
For a long, long time, Gao Wen thought that he had a system and there was no need to worry about technical and tactical training. However, Agassi and Sampras told Gao Wen with practical actions:
The world of tennis is vast and profound.
From serving movements to receiving and receiving tactics to forehand use, etc., technical movements, tactical thinking, etc. all require detailed adjustments. This is much more complicated and difficult than training in the gym. Just spending time on the training ground is not enough.
It requires energy, investment, and help from the brain.
Now, all these adjustments and changes need to be tested and polished through actual competitions. Only in this way can they slowly become their own skills and become an important part of their own competition.
Generally speaking, technical adjustment is very painful, because what you are changing is your own playing habits and combat style, which often requires a period of pain.
It is against this background that the value of the Doha doubles competition becomes more and more prominent:
Opportunities to partner with top players like Nadal don't come often, which makes Gawain more daring to take risks and take action.
Before heading to Melbourne to compete at the Australian Open, Gao Wen needs more court time to adapt to his new self.
For Doha, Gao Wen did not set any performance goals. His only goal was to stay on the court as long as possible and polish himself.
Obviously, with Nadal playing doubles, things couldn't be more perfect.
Someone once said that in tennis matches, singles matches and doubles matches can be said to be two categories, and intensity and quality are not at the same level.
It is true that doubles competition requires tacit understanding and cooperation. Experts who have focused on doubles for many years are absolutely outstanding, and their interpretation of the game has entered a higher level; but if two singles players join forces to participate in a doubles competition, the probability of victory is always higher.
One side.
I say this not because I look down on the strength of doubles experts, but because of two reasons:
Firstly, the individual comprehensive strength of singles players is stronger; secondly, singles players are also unique in their tactical interpretation and use of court space.
Of course, nothing is absolute. This is just a theoretical analysis on paper. To be specific, you still need to go on the court and compete with real swords and guns to determine the winner.
However, the game being played in front of us can prove this "theory" to some extent——
The four players, who mainly focus on singles, teamed up to compete in the doubles match. During the back-and-forth confrontation, the gap slowly widened, and the singles strength gradually became apparent.
With a set in hand, the combination of Gawain and Nadal gradually found their magic in the second set:
Personal strength and tacit cooperation collide and create sparks!
"2:1".
At the beginning of the second set, both teams maintained serve. Gauvin and Nadal, who served first, took the lead in the game, and then once again got a break point in Borrelli's serve.
And, three in a row.
"0:40".
Faced with consecutive break points and unable to retreat, Borrelli and Mayer also played more aggressively and proactively.
First, he squeezed Gao Wen's return serve through a close serve, and then relied on Mayer's net grab to form frontcourt pressure, and then Borrelli went to the net.
One left and one right, Borrelli and Mayer firmly held the advantage in front of the net, turning tennis into badminton. The entire rhythm was directly raised to a new level, forcing the two opponents to the baseline and breathless.
Gao Wen and Nadal have been trying to break the net, but the ball speed was too fast throughout the round, and the room for adjustment was very limited. The gap between advantages and disadvantages also widened, and the two were very passive.
However, this does not mean that the two players will sit still and wait for death——
Holding three consecutive break points also means that they have "wasted" capital. It doesn't matter even if they lose this point, so they should give it a try.
In this regard, Gawain and Nadal are the same, and they will never hesitate when they should take action.
Strong topspin!
Nadal came first, destroying the rhythm of Mayer's forward volley; and then Gao Wen also came, hitting Burelli's backhand strongly.
Borrelli also felt the danger. The defense line between him and Mayer was loosening due to the continuous strong rotation of the collision, so he made a change.
He stepped back, turned sideways, and used a backhand to cut. Instead of blocking the ball, he cut a small ball, strongly externally rotated it, and after landing, he threw it out of the court:
It's short and sharp, light and shallow.
Clearly, Borrelli saw the danger.
The pace of Gao Wen and Nadal was suppressed near the baseline, but both of them were relying on their personal abilities to launch strong attacks in an attempt to break the situation head-on.
But Borrelli also saw an opportunity.
He chose to use a small ball in front of the net to break the cooperation between the two players, fully utilizing the entire court, and then the bottom line alliance between Gauvin and Nadal collapsed.
Well!
At this moment, you can feel that Nadal is very keen on catching the fighter plane. As soon as he steps forward, his body has already rushed forward.
Borrelli's cutting was excellent. Not only did he unload the force cleanly, but he also performed a side spin very well, causing Nadal's footsteps to leave the doubles area directly.
Tap tap tap.
Nadal was gliding forward on Lingbo micro-steps. His whole body had completely entered the outside of the court, and his feet continued to run along the diagonal line outside the doubles line.
ah!
Just as the tennis ball was about to hit the ground, almost before the two jumps, Nadal reached out and flicked everything with a one-handed backhand——
The magic moment has just arrived.
Not only the audience, but also the three players standing on the court followed the flight path of the tennis ball and watched intently.
The tennis ball went around the ball post, cutting a light and thin diagonal line, and the super spin circled back from the outside. The "outside-in" flight curve completely bypassed the positions of Borrelli and Mayer, and ended up with a thunderous
The posture falls into the bottom line blind spot of the opposite half.
In bounds!
Borelli: Shocked.
Mayer: Wink.
Gawain's heart also stopped beating. In just a short moment, joy and happiness exploded. The magic of tennis was fully demonstrated. He subconsciously raised his hands high and didn't make any sound. He just looked at the tennis ball like this.
The landing point is full of admiration.
Wow!
The whole audience was stunned: Nadal was completing another "Nadal moment". Even if he saw it up close and personal, it was still hard to believe his eyes.
So, who can tell me how exactly everything happened just now?
Is there a video playback function on site that allows everyone to appreciate the return before dislocating their jaw?
By the way, remember to prepare popcorn before playback.